Beprovided Conservation Radio

About the Guest(s): Professor David Sedlak is a renowned civil and environmental engineer with a distinguished career focused on the intersection of technology and water resources. He is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where he also leads as the director of the Berkeley Water Center. Professor Sedlak is celebrated for his significant contributions to the field, including his award-winning book "Water 4.0," which discusses the past, present, and future of the world's most vital resource. His latest work, "Water for All: Global Solutions for a Changing Climate," further solidifies his standing as an influential voice in water conservation and management. His expertise has been recognized and featured in prominent publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Nature, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the New York Review of Books. Episode Summary: In this episode of BeProvided Conservation Radio, we're joined by the esteemed Professor David Sedlak to discuss the vital issue of water accessib

  About our Guest: Devan Showe is a wildlife conservation advocate and a committed professional actively contributing to the welfare of wild animals. She currently holds the position of Campaigns Associate at Born Free USA, an organization devoted to preserving wildlife and ending animal exploitation. With academic credentials from Oxford Brookes University in conservation, Devan couples her theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience garnered from her time as a primate caregiver and veterinary assistant at the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in Texas. Devan's work significantly revolves around campaigns aimed at topics like the fur trade and animal trapping, striving to educate the public and initiate action against the exploitation of wild animals in captivity. Episode Summary: In this eye-opening episode of BeProvided Conservation Radio, host Marcia Sivek converses with Devan Showe whose mission is to safeguard wildlife and halt the ill-usage of animals. The session begins by delineating Devan's passio

The Global Effort to Conserve Cheetahs With Dr. Laurie Marker of the Cheetah Conservation Fund About the Guest: Dr. Laurie Marker is a pioneer in the field of wildlife conservation, with a keen focus on the preservation of cheetahs. As the Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) since 1990, Dr. Marker's journey in conservation commenced at a wildlife safari park in the United States. Her pioneering research has traversed continents, leading her to the grasslands of Namibia. There, she uncovered the grim reality of wild cheetahs being killed due to human-wildlife conflict, a revelation that prompted the inception of CCF. Dr. Marker is acclaimed for her groundbreaking efforts, resultant research, and unwavering dedication to the fastest land animal on Earth. Episode Summary: In this exclusive episode of BeProvided Conservation Radio, we embark on a profound exploration of the challenges and strategies involved in cheetah conservation, featuring the esteemed Dr. Laurie Marker. As we delve into

About The Guest(s): Leif Cocks is the founder of the Orangutan Project and Wildlife Conservation International. He has dedicated his life to orangutan conservation and has worked with these great apes for over 30 years. Leif is also the author of several books, including "Finding Our Humanity" and "Orangutans: My Cousins, My Friends." Summary: Leif Cocks, founder of the Orangutan Project and Wildlife Conservation International, discusses the challenges and importance of orangutan conservation. He emphasizes the need for diverse support and funding across ecosystems and highlights the significance of grassroots involvement and community engagement. Leif shares heartwarming stories of his experiences working with orangutans and explains the role of orangutans in the ecosystem. He also discusses the current challenges faced by conservation efforts and the importance of securing funding for meaningful change. Key Takeaways: Orangutans have intrinsic value and deserve conservation efforts for their own sake. Savi

About The Guest(s): Ian Rowbotham is the Senior Land Stewardship Manager of Sempervirens Fund. With a master’s degree in Earth Systems from Stanford University, he is an expert in redwood conservation and restoration. Ian has dedicated his career to protecting and restoring redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Summary: Ian Rowbotham, the Senior Land Stewardship Manager of Sempervirens Fund, discusses the pivotal role of redwoods in the face of climate change. Redwoods are resilient giants that can sequester carbon and provide essential habitat for a diverse range of species. Despite the challenges they face, such as drought and wildfires, redwoods continue to thrive and adapt. Sempervirens Fund focuses on active management and restoration projects to protect and restore redwood ecosystems. Through fuel reduction, prescribed burns, and wetland restoration, they aim to create more resilient forests and safeguard these iconic trees for future generations. Key Takeaways: - Redwoods are resilient and adap

About The Guest: Dr. Carl Safina is an ecologist and author known for his work on animal behavior. He has received numerous fellowships and has written for prestigious publications such as The New York Times, Time, the Guardian, and National Geographic. He is the author of many books, including "Alfie and Me: What Owls Know and What Humans Believe." Summary Dr. Carl Safina joins the podcast to discuss his new book, "Alfie and Me: What Owls Know and What Humans Believe." He shares his personal experience caring for a wild Eastern screech owl named Alfie and delves into the fascinating world of owls and their behavior. Dr. Safina also explores the historical and cultural perspectives on humanity's relationship with nature, highlighting the Western view of humans as separate from and superior to the natural world. He emphasizes the need for a shift in mindset and offers insights into how individuals can make a positive impact on the environment. Key Takeaways: - Dr. Safina's relationship with Alfie, a wild Ea

Did you know that Herpetology (study of frogs, snakes, newts and many more!) is a crossroads to falconry? I didn't either! But it was for our guest today, Kenny Elvin. In 2022, Kenny gave a talk to the Bay Area Herpetology group if you want to learn more about the falconry/herpetology connection!  https://youtu.be/zMg_lzlYhiQ?si=KWVqZkv2ASyWQGci Our guest today is Kenny Elvin of Full Circle Falconry. He flies his raptors for groups and events around the state of California, not only for education of raptors but also for wildlife management. He is also known as King Mighty Flighty at local Renaissance Faires! I had the pleasure of meeting with Kenny in person to meet a few of his birds thanks to a friend and co-worker, Lisa Villasenor in Los Gatos for this interview. We had great fun and good conversation, though it is easy to get distracted and lose your train of thought when you have a beautiful Eastern Screech Owl and a Peregrine Falcon close by!  But I think we did ok and the interview is informative, ca

Welcome to BeProvided Conservation Radio with host, Marcia Sivek. Mark Haviland is founder of Conscious Careers, co-founder of Train My Generation and Vice Chair of Marine Conservation Society UK. Mark has spent over 25 years in big corporations such as Disney and CNN before changing career paths to the non-profit world.  Train My Generation and Conscious Careers help future generations understand their roles in any career choice bridge community, education and environmental restoration.  Train My Generation is a volunteer community organization focused on bringing essential infrastructure, expertise, and resources to the islands of Mfangano, Lake Victoria, just off the coast of Kenya. Conscious Careers gives school aged children and young adults the skills to go into a career with the world in mind. Mark is visiting 100+ schools in 2023-2024 all over the UK and creating workshops designed to inspire understanding, confidence and optimism in future careers.  The Marine Conservation Society UK is fighting for

I am excited to introduce my guest today. Her name is Rebecca Wildbear and she is the author of Wild Yoga: A Practice of Initiation, Veneration and Advocacy for the Earth. The book is published by New World Library In her book, Rebecca writes, “ When we are in our bodies, at one with nature, we are in touch with intelligence more significant that our minds. Nature can inspire our movements, align us with our instincts, initiate us into living our soul’s purpose, and guide us in tending the well-being of all life.” Rebecca Wildbear is the creator of Wild Yoga and has been teaching yoga since 2004. She has been on the faculty at Nosara Yoga Institute and guides vision quests and other programs through Animas Valley Institute.  Speaking of Animas Valley Institute, Rebecca is leading a Soulcraft Intensive for Earth Activists June 13-17th, 2023 through the institute. This is a great intensive for anyone fighting to protect the earth but is feeling the stress and despair of devastation and compassion fatigue. If y

My guest today is Mark Weston. Mark was sent to live on a remote island in the Tanzanian half of Lake Victoria where he found a community grappling with one of the world's great unknown environmental crises. In his new book, The Saviour Fish: Life and Death on Africa’s Greatest Lake he tells the story of this environmental catastrophe through the experiences of the people on Ukerewe Island. He lived on the island for two years and was able to create long lasting friendships and gain trust of the community. As Mark says, the book is not all doom and gloom about the bad state of the fishing industry. The book is also about people, their religion and beliefs and rural island life. Mark and his wife became part of the community and formed lifelong friendships. Mark states it was a privilege to get to know these people and their way of life. I am happy to announce that The Saviour Fish was one of the Daily Telegraph's and Wanderlust Magazine's travel books of the year for 2022. In today’s episode, Mark first desc

Humans have existed for about 300,000 years. And played a huge role in their environment in a positive sustainable way. They grew and killed what they could eat. Gradually, over most of that time or gradually until less than a century ago, humans somehow became separate from their landscape and began extracting from their landscape more than was needed. Small sustainable farms became overrun by industrial agriculture.  Now the farms in the middle of the US are mostly monoculture crops or single crops to feed cows and livestock stuffed in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). The cereal grains grown to feed these animals are not the foods that they are normally meant to be eating. So the animals are injected with hormones and antibiotics just to keep them alive enough until they get slaughtered. Growing enough cereal grains in abundance to feed the livestock crammed into CAFOs gave birth to chemical farming, genetic modifications and heavy pesticide use. The meat from these unhappy animals and grain

Most black bears in the wild will avoid people unless a person gets between a mama bear and her cubs or if the bear feels threatened somehow. It seems over the past couple of decades at least the black bears in South Lake Tahoe, CA are not as afraid of humans as they should. They have learned that humans throw away a lot of food scraps from their homes and businesses. The scraps are placed in easily accessible garbage bins. Some bears have also learned to open windows and doors. This can definitely be a problem for both the bear and the human it may encounter.   This episode of BeProvided Conservation Radio discusses the urbanization of black bears in the South Lake Tahoe area. My guests are, Lori Howell Thompson author of the newly published book, Living in Harmony with the Wildlife in Lake Tahoe and Toogee Sielsch, black bear expert in Lake Tahoe.  

This is a replay of my live Facebook interview with Beth Pratt, CA Regional Executive Director of the Wildlife Federation, author, co-creator of Save LA Cougars and the all around cougar lady.  The interview originally aired in 2020 during lockdown from the pandemic and I was experimenting with new audio equipment and FaceBook live.  As many of you may know, the world lost a great soul on December 17, 2022. The world famous mountain lion, P-22, had to be compassionately euthanized.  This is a summary in a written Eulogy for P22 by Beth Pratt of what the poor boy was suffering from : “Before I said goodbye, I sat in a conference room with team members from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the team of doctors at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The showed me a video of P-22’s CT scan, images of the results, and my despair grew as they outlined the list of serious health issues they had uncovered from all their testing: stage two kidney failure, a weight of 90 pounds!!! (he normally weighs about

Welcome to BeProvided Conservation Radio with host, Marcia Sivek. As temperatures rise and ecosystems are threatened, the news tends to make us feel there is no hope for our natural world. It is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But in his new book, The Rescue Effect: The Key to Saving Life on Earth, Michael Mehta Webster suggests that we can feel more optimistic about the survival life on earth because it is more resilient than we think. Webster shares stories of certain species rescuing themselves from extinction through six processes. He does not suggest that humans can sit idly but suggests that conservationists include the rescue effects of a species in their plans for protection or recovery. If you haven’t guessed already, my guest today is Michael Mehta Webster, author of The Rescue Effect. He is an expert in ecology, conservation, philanthropy, and non-profit management. His research interests focus on how organisms and ecosystems adapt to environmental change, how this information

This is a replay of my interview with Camilla Fox, founder of Project Coyote (www.projectcoyote.org).  We discuss the importance of coyotes and other carnivores to balance ecosystems. We talk about why there is fear around these and animals and most importantly, why there should not be fear around these animals. We also touch on the horrible act of wildlife killing contests. Something that I was hoping, wishful thinking, would be banned in all 50 states by now. Unfortunately it is still legal in most of our states.   Listen in and learn how Camilla Fox and Project Coyote are dedicating their time to help the public change their negative thinking about these carnivores.  Here is their website so you can learn more and find out ways you can help https://projectcoyote.org/take-action/    

Welcome to our Halloween edition about bats.   But just so you know, bats are not scary! They just make for a great Halloween conversation. So stay tuned to learn why we should all love bats and not fear them. I am Marcia Sivek and this is BeProvided Conservation Radio.   When my guest today is not giving bird talks and nature walks with the Yolo Basin Foundation she is rescuing and rehabilitating bats as well as educating people about bats. Mary Jean Quirk is the founder of Northern California Bats a rescue and rehabilitation organization in Sacramento Valley CA.

My guest today is Jenny Papka, an inspiring raptor educator. Her story began volunteering then eventually became staff at Lindsay Wildlife Center in Walnut Creek, CA. About 20 years ago she helped create Native Bird Connections (NBC) and is presently the Executive Director. NBC is an education and consulting organization and a place where injured or captive bred birds can live out the rest of their lives with respect, responsibility, and reverence.   Please Visit: www.nativebirds.org for more information on the work Jenny is doing with raptors.    #raptors #raptorsarethesolution #conservation #podcast #wildlife #nature #birds #birdsofprey #eagles #owls #ratpoison 

My guests today are innovative and creative when it comes to removing aquatic weeds. They identified a problem and because of their love for beautiful healthy waterways, they created a solution in their company WeeDoo that preserves the health of aquatic life and native aquatic plants without chemicals. Tara Lordi helped co-found WeeDoo with her husband and his father and was the marketing/salesperson. Since her husband’s death a few years ago, Tara has stepped up and is now running the show. She is very passionate about keeping waterways clean whether by using a precision weed harvesting boat like WeeDoo or by just getting out there and pulling the invasive weeds out by hand—any method if it doesn’t involve using chemicals. She also loves animals, is an avid equestrian and volunteers once a year to help victims of hurricanes, floods, or other natural disasters. Listen in to hear her volunteer adventure to rescue dogs from the Virgin Islands during COVID. Unbeknownst to Bobby O’Shields his childhood job mowin

Welcome Back Everyone! I think every little girl I know, including myself, LOVES horses. I was never in a place to actually ride horses but as soon as I could pick up a pencil horses were the first animals I sketched. I fell in love with their eyes and their sleek muscular bodies. I am Marcia Sivek and this is BeProvided Conservation Radio. If you cannot tell, today’s show is about horses, specifically horse rescue and rehabilitation with Julia Hyde, founder of Canham Farm Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation and her senior volunteer and outreach coordinator, Jackie Foley. Julia started Canham Farm Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation about 5 years ago when she realized horses needed her help. In today’s show, we talk about how horses come into their care. Julia and Jackie share stories on how domesticated horses are cared for and their dedication to getting them back to health and finding a new home. Julia also shares how our iconic wild horses in the American West are rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management using

Today’s episode is a replay of my FB live interview with two members of the Cal Falcons team who have been monitoring the nest of Annie and Grinnell since 2016.  I wanted to replay highlights from our chat in May 2020 today in honor of Grinnell. On April 1, 2022, Cal Falcons sadly reported the world had lost Grinnell due to being struck by a car. I was hoping this would be some kind of bad April fools post, but I knew Cal Falcons would not tug at our heart strings with such a cruel joke. It was difficult to grasp that Grinnell was gone.  I know I am not alone in mourning the loss of Grinnell, the cal falcons instagram page has over 10 thousand followers from all over the world. It is a terribly sad event for so many reasons, but heart wrenching because Annie just laid her second egg and Grinnell was hunting to bring food to her. It was reported a dead pigeon was found not far from Grinnell. My heart felt heavy for Annie, thinking that she would not be able to keep protecting and incubating the eggs without th